Ryan's New Family
by jonsmom14
Summary: Earthquake" verse. Ryan comes home from the hospital.


"Okay Ryan, here's your lunch. In fact, I snuck a look and I think the cafeteria put in an extra large piece of the apple pie in there." Laura smiled as she came into the hospital room. The nurses had all heard about the teen who now had Dr. Mark Sloan as his new father. That alone was enough for them to compete in making Ryan happy. The fact that said teen had wounded blue eyes, shaggy blond hair and had saved Dr. Amanda Bentley's unborn child made them fall all over themselves just to see him smile. It was a legitimate challenge because Ryan was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Hey! Is that cafeteria food I smell? Is it meatloaf day?" A deep, cheerful voice asked from the doorway.

Ryan looked up to see his adult foster brother walk into the room and take the empty chair next to his bed. He was wary of the older man. Despite the fact that Steve was a driving force in exonerating him from the assault charges he was facing after the earthquake, the truth was Steve was still a cop and Ryan had been raised to believe that the police were the enemy.

Even though Ryan was very good at hiding his emotions, Steve was very good at reading people and he was more than aware of the teen's distrust. He considered it a challenge to get his new brother to trust him. He smiled at his father's enthusiasm towards Ryan. Mark Sloan was determined that Ryan Atwood would soon be Ryan Atwood Sloan. The elderly man had already spoken with his lawyer and started the paperwork to adopt his new foster son. Usually what Mark Sloan wanted, he got, so Steve had already accepted that he had a new brother.

It wasn't like Steve was unhappy about the situation either. He was looking forward to teaching the teen how to surf and going to football and baseball games with him. Steve had played quarterback for USC and both he and Mark had season tickets. Steve had spoken with his contact on the campus earlier that morning concerning getting another set of tickets for Ryan. He was quite satisfied with the knowledge that said tickets would be sent with his father's and his own for next season. It was good to be a former star quarterback with a father who had saved the lives of so many celebrities.

"How are you feeling?" Steve asked, turning his attention to the teen in the bed.

Ryan was pale and he would wince every once in a while when he moved wrong. Steve found himself feeling very protective of this kid who had been through so much. Sixteen and he only had one kidney and was so familiar with pain that he rarely showed what he really felt. Steve had used his connections to acquire the actual file from children's services – not the edited one given to new guardians.

Steve had spent a great deal of time at the shooting range picturing the men that had drifted through Ryan's life. There had been pictures included in the reported abuse investigations, Steve was sickened when he thought about the times that Ryan was hurt and no one knew about it. He had dealt with enough abuse cases in his career as a cop to know that most of the abuse victims never reported the majority of their attacks.

Steve had brought his copy of the file to his father so that Mark could be familiar with Ryan's physical and psychological traumas before the teen came into their home. Steve had gotten up in the middle of the night for a glass of water and ended up staring out at the dark ocean with his father as they both came to terms with the horrors that the boy they were both welcoming into their family had faced.

Ryan shrugged at Steve's question. "Fine." He took a bite off the tray and hoped that eating would keep him from having to talk.

Steve noticed the ploy and smiled. "Dad said that you'll get to come home soon, maybe even by tomorrow. You'll have to take it easy, but at least you won't be in the hospital with everyone bothering you day and night."

Ryan glanced at the man, but didn't say anything. He figured that he was just moving from one fish bowl to the next. Realizing that he didn't want to make his new guardian's son angry, he swallowed the bite of potatoes and spoke up.

"Where does your dad live?" He asked hesitantly, looking at the cop through his eyelashes.

Steve grinned. "Actually, we both live in Dad's beach house and the backyard is the Pacific Ocean. It's nice to come home after a stressful day and just ride the waves. Do you surf?"

Ryan shook his head and grimaced. "Chino is kind of land-locked. Didn't really have money for a board."

"Then as soon as Dad gives the green light, we'll get you out there. You'll love it." Steve promised.

"I don't know if I'll be any good at it." Ryan stated nervously.

Steve leaned forward and patted his younger brother's leg. "Hey, I taught Jesse, and he's from Illinois! Now I can't get him out of my backyard!"

"What exaggerations are you telling the kid?" A disgruntled voice asked.

Steve and Ryan looked up to see Dr. Jesse Travis coming into the room. The short, blond man grimaced when he saw the cafeteria tray on Ryan's bed table.

"Hey! Don't knock the gourmet cuisine!" Steve declared when he saw the look. It had been a long-running disagreement between the two concerning the cafeteria food at Community General.

Jesse just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "How they expect people to actually get better eating that slop is beyond me."

"That is NOT slop!" Steve argued.

"If it looks like a pig and '_oinks'_ like a pig…" Jesse deadpanned.

Ryan couldn't help but be amused by the dialogue going on in front of him. It was obvious that the two men were very close and held a great deal of affection for one another – despite their argumentative nature.

Steve and Jesse shared a satisfied look when they caught a smile that slipped through Ryan's armor. Since Mark accepted Ryan as his son, that meant that the teen was gaining a few new family members.

"So when does my kid brother blow this pop stand?" Steve asked the doctor.

Jesse grinned. "How does this afternoon sound?"

Ryan's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"I would never tease about that. I know how much Steve hates this place. I figured you would feel the same. Normally you would be here at least a few more days, but since your dad is – well – your dad, and I'm over there everyday it's not raining myself; I think it would be safe to send you on home so that you can get settled and maybe quicken your healing. The sea air will be good for you. Unfortunately, no riding waves or even sitting on the beach until I say so; but you can at least sleep in a real bed and eat real food." Jesse announced, once again shooting the tray a dubious look.

Steve didn't say anything, but he did send his best friend a glare for the food crack.

As happy as he was to leave the hospital, Ryan was a bit nervous about moving into the Sloans' house. At least he knew that everyone who lived there wanted him there, unlike at the Cohen's. He had also been informed he would have his own bedroom. Both Mark and Steve had been furious when he informed them where his bedroom had been in Newport. Steve was ranting about Ryan's safety if there was a break-in while Mark grumbled sarcastically about how that must have made the teen feel welcome. It made Ryan feel appreciated instead of tolerated, which was a new experience for him.

There was a large gathering of nurses and other hospital personnel that afternoon when Mark and Steve wheeled Ryan out of his room and down to the front entrance of the hospital in order to take him home. He was holding a small fern that Amanda had brought him to brighten his room. It was the first time anyone had ever given him anything like that, and Ryan felt a strange attachment to it. He had been very careful to make sure it was watered and properly cared for.

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief when Steve drove up to the house. Not only was he ready to lie back down due to the ache in his back and ribs, but the house held none of the pretentiousness of the Cohens' house in Newport. Certainly it was much nicer than any house in Chino, but it felt more like a home than a showplace. Steve and Mark stood on each side of him as he slowly walked up the steps to the front door. Ryan only got a quick look before he was making his way up the stairs and to his own bedroom.

Once he was settled in the bed, Ryan looked around. He was touched at how much work the Sloans had obviously put into the room. The furniture was a light oak and the bedding was several shades of blue and green that seemed to reflect the colors in the ocean right outside his window. The light gray walls reflected the blues and greens in the curtains and bedding giving the room an overall calming feeling. There weren't a lot of decorations – just a few mountain and ocean landscapes. It was nice to know that the two men had taken his preferences into consideration: simple and peaceful. Two days before, right after Ryan agreed to the guardianship, Mark and Steve sat down with him and went over the house rules before asking what he would like his room to look like and what foods he enjoyed.

Unlike with the Cohens, the Sloans didn't make him feel like an obligation. They seemed to genuinely be happy he was coming home to them and wanted to just make him comfortable. It had made Ryan more willing to be honest. Ryan smiled as he looked upon the results.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was another aspect Ryan appreciated: no one barging in like he didn't matter.

"Come in." Ryan answered.

Mark walked in, a smiled on his lips and his blue eyes twinkling merrily. He carried a glass of ice water and a bottle of pills. "Hello Son," he greeted, shaking a pill out on Ryan's open palm and handing him the glass once Ryan popped the pill in his mouth.

Once that was done, the older man sat on the side of the bed. "Are you comfortable? Is the room okay?" He asked calmly.

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, it's great – thanks."

Mark looked at the teen silently for a moment. "I have to be honest with you Ryan, because I don't ever want there to be secrets between us."

Ryan stopped breathing. Here it was the other shoe he had been waiting for all this time.

"I don't want to just be your guardian. That is a temporary position that ends when you turn eighteen." Mark began.

Ryan felt his heart drop. "I – I understand." He whispered, trying to hold in the hurt. "I'll call Marcia…"

"What are you talking about?" Mark asked in confusion.

"You want me to leave." Ryan stated, not understanding why the man was being so cruel as to make him say it.

Mark's eyes widened in shock and dismay "NO!" He exclaimed, grabbing Ryan's left hand and holding it tightly. "You've misunderstood me! I'm trying to say that I want this arrangement to be permanent. I want you to really be my son. Ryan, I want to adopt you!"

Ryan gasped as he stared into the man's eyes. "But you don't even know me." He argued.

"I didn't know Steve either when I first became his father." Mark pointed out.

"That's different." Ryan scoffed.

"How? Because he was a baby and you're a teenager? Trust me, Ryan. I had to learn all about Steve just like I'll have to learn all about you. But let me tell you something about myself. I am not good at letting go of the ones I love. Ask my adult son who lives in the room down the hall. No Ryan, I already consider you my son, and I want the paper to prove it. Once you turn eighteen, I can't look out for you officially unless I adopt you. I want the world to always recognize that I have the right to care about you." Mark explained.

Ryan studied his foster father closely. He was pretty good at spotting a lie, but Mark Sloan was a study of sincerity. "You really mean it." Ryan realized out loud.

"Ryan, you'll find that I rarely say things I don't mean." Mark reassured him.

"What about Dawn and Frank?"

Mark sighed. "They would have to sign over custody. If they refused, we could take them to court and we would most likely win."

Ryan was silent for a long while. Finally Mark stood up. "You don't have to decide right this second, but I wanted you to know how I felt – actually both Steve and me. We both agreed that we want you to be a Sloan."

Ryan watched as Mark crossed the room and quietly closed the door behind him. Ryan relaxed back into the pillows and sighed. His brain felt overloaded. He had barely wrapped his mind around the fact that that Cohens believed a total stranger over him and actually believed that he would try to kill someone out of jealousy. Now he was suddenly with a new guardian and in LA instead of Newport. Seth was no longer rambling in his ear about Summer. Instead he could listen to the waves breaking and relax without wondering when his door would suddenly come bursting open.

The Sloans didn't want to just give him somewhere to stay until he turned eighteen. They actually wanted him to be a part of their family. Mark and Steve weren't just saying the words like the Cohens, they were actually taking steps to make it true. How would Dawn and Trey feel if he accepted their offer? He knew that Dawn's reaction would depend upon which substance she was abusing at the time and if she currently had another one of her boyfriends. Trey, on the other hand, would probably be more upset that Ryan had a good home than he would about actually losing his brother. If someone accused Trey of trying to kill out of jealousy, they would be closer to the truth.

Ryan sighed heavily and closed his eyes. It was painful to think about the Cohens and their actions – especially Sandy and Seth. He had known since the first day that Kirsten was only tolerating him for Sandy's sake, but he still couldn't believe that Luke was the only person he knew who didn't believe that Ryan was capable of what he was accused.

Glancing over at the bedside table, Ryan noticed that there was a phone. He wondered if he would be allowed to make a phone call. Ryan wanted to call Luke to make sure the other teen hadn't been too injured from the earthquake as well as thank him for his trust.

Just as he was about to reach for the receiver, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Ryan called out.

Steve came into the room and smiled. "Hey, I was just checking to make sure you didn't need anything before I ran to the store."

"No, I'm fine. Um, I was wondering…" Ryan replied.

"Yeah?" Steve prompted.

"Could I call a friend in Newport?" Ryan asked.

Steve looked at his younger brother in concern. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Ryan's eyes widened. "No! I'm not calling Seth, I just wanted to call another friend – Luke."

Steve nodded in understanding. "Luke Ward? Sure, no problem."

"You know Luke?" Ryan wanted to know.

Steve sighed. "Ryan you need to understand. I was the investigating officer into the charges against you. That means that I had to interview everyone that was there that day. To be honest, I believed that Trask did it from the moment I met him. He was as dishonest as the day is long. However, proving it was a little more difficult. Fortunately, Dad was able to come up with the solution."

"Why didn't you believe Oliver? Everyone else did." Ryan wondered.

Steve chuckled. "Let's just say that I don't equal someone's worth to the number of zeros in their bank account."

Ryan felt something click for him when Steve uttered those words. "Your dad mentioned that he wanted to adopt me."

Steve sobered. "Yeah, he does. What do you think about it?"

"I'm not sure." Ryan shrugged. "I can't understand why he would want that when he doesn't really know me."

Steve walked over to the desk and scooted the chair next to Ryan's bed before sitting down. He leaned his elbows on his knees and stared into Ryan's similar blue eyes. He then proceeded to give him a complete rundown of Ryan's entire life according to Children's Services before launching into his own observations of Ryan's likes and dislikes.

Ryan's eyes widened more and more as his history was repeated to him from this man he thought of as a stranger. He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable when he realized that there were very few instances that weren't just repeats of what Steve already knew. Finally, Steve stopped.

"I didn't tell you all of that because Dad finds it important. I told you so that you would know we are entering this adoption with our eyes wide open. You have to understand what Dad and I do for a living, Ryan. I meet the absolute worst of society on a daily basis; people who would think nothing of killing you for a cup of coffee. Dad has worked as a consultant to the LAPD for many years now. He's solved some of the worst and most diabolical cases as well as dealing with many patients who have been victims of others. We know bad people when we meet them. You are not one of them, Ryan. You came out of a less than ideal situation and you were working hard to make the most of it. It's not your fault that others wouldn't allow you to continue." Steve explained.

"So what happens if something goes wrong?" Ryan asked.

Steve shook his head in exasperation. "No Ryan, you don't understand. Dad and I don't expect you to be perfect. God knows we sure aren't. All we expect is for you to try your best and be yourself. Because that's who Dad is interested in adopting – you. We like you Ryan. You're a good kid and we think that you would fit into our family. We don't want you to be anything different than who you are. You are Ryan Atwood from Chino, California. Of course we would like it more if you were Ryan Atwood Sloan recently of LA, but that's the only thing we want to change about you."

Ryan studied the older man's face. He could tell that Steve was being very honest with him. Ryan appreciated his candor. He watched as Steve smiled and stood.

"Why don't you think about what I said and make your phone call. Luke is a good friend to you. Feel free to talk to him whenever." Steve invited before turning and leaving the room.

Ryan waited until the door closed before picking up the receiver and dialing the familiar number.

"_Hello_."

"Hey."

"_Chino_?"

"Yeah." Ryan said softly.

"_Dude, how are you doing? We heard about Oliver getting arrested. The Cohens and Marissa have been having a fit!"_ Luke informed him.

"What do you mean?"

"_Marissa and Seth came over here the other day all upset because the cops arrested Oliver and said that you were innocent – which I had been saying all along. Anyway, they wanted my help to figure out how to get you back. I pretty much told them to go screw themselves since they seemed to enjoy doing it to _you_ so much. They were both crying when they left._" Luke announced with great satisfaction. "_I mean damn, you stuck up for both of them and they just turned their back on you for some punk. They didn't deserve to be your friend._"

"Thanks man." Ryan smiled slightly.

"_I've got your back Chino_." Luke replied. "_So where are you now? Are you still at the hospital? I could come see you this weekend_."

"No, actually I'm living with my doctor." Ryan told him. "He wants to adopt me."

"_Really? Dude that's awesome – right?_"

"I don't know, I mean he and his son hardly know me. Well, at least I thought they hardly knew me. Turns out they know all about my past. My foster brother is the cop that worked on the case. He read my file, my child services file." Ryan rambled.

"_Chill out Chino, so the dude read your file. He's a cop. There's probably nothing there that's new to him._" Luke soothed.

"Yeah, I know. It's just – what happens when they change their minds?" Ryan asked.

"_Why do they have to change their minds?"_ Luke countered.

"The Cohens did." Ryan muttered.

"_Dude, the Cohens live in Newport in a mansion on the hill. Your new family is a doctor and a cop in LA. Not exactly comparable_." Luke scoffed.

"Sandy was a public defender…" Ryan tried to argue.

"_Who lives in a mansion. He's not exactly living in the ghetto_."

Ryan sighed. "I'm in a beach house with the Pacific Ocean in the backyard. This isn't exactly the ghetto either."

"_Maybe, but I met the doctor dude and the cop. Sandy Cohen may have been a public defender, but I think that the Sloans have a much better grasp of reality. You've lived here man, this isn't exactly real life."_ Luke pointed out.

"Who would have thought you'd criticize Newport?" Ryan chuckled, conceding defeat.

"_Actually, Dad's talking about moving to Portland. I think I'm going with him._" Luke declared softly.

"Really?" Ryan was surprised. He knew that Luke had changed, but he couldn't imagine Newport without him.

"_Yeah. I think I need a new start. This year has basically sucked and now that you're gone, there aren't a lot of people I think are worth hanging out with_." Luke admitted. "_But you better stay in touch_."

"Count on it." Ryan agreed. "Let me know how it goes."

"_You too, man. Let me know what name I should start calling you_." Luke chuckled.

"Will do." Ryan smiled as he ended the call. He was still pretty shocked at how close he had become to his one-time enemy. He hoped that Luke liked Portland.

Ryan leaned back in the bed with a heavy sigh. Talking to Luke had helped a lot. He couldn't help but feel some satisfaction that Seth and Marissa were upset. He was just happy that they were far enough away that he didn't have to pretend to forgive them. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that it would be expected of him.

A knock at the door roused Ryan from his thoughts. He couldn't help but smile when the person on the other side waited for a reply.

"Come in!" He called.

Mark stuck his head around the door and grinned. "Steve just got back, and he brought ice cream. Would you like some?"

"What flavor?" Ryan asked curiously.

"We have both vanilla and chocolate." Mark grinned. "Steve splurged."

Ryan chuckled. He was very happy to hear it wasn't some weird flavor like Pistachio Amaretto. "Chocolate would be great."

"Excellent! We were also about to set up for a game of poker. Would you like to play? Jesse should be here soon too."

"I don't have any money." Ryan admitted uncomfortably.

"Then it's a good thing we play with valueless chips." Mark winked.

Ryan smiled and nodded. "Sure, I'll play."

"Great, we'll set up in here so that you can be comfortable." Mark declared.

"Um, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ryan asked.

Mark looked at the teenager curiously and nodded.

"I've been thinking about your offer." Ryan began hesitantly.

Mark nodded again but remained silent.

"I – I think I would like to be adopted." Ryan said softly.

Mark's face lit up with delight and his eyes twinkled merrily. "I'm glad." He said simply but Ryan could tell he was fighting to remain calm. "I'll call my lawyer first thing in the morning."

Ryan nodded and smiled self-consciously.

Mark walked back towards the door and opened it. "Ryan?" He called out turning to look at his new son.

Ryan looked up questioningly.

"Welcome to the family, Son."

Ryan fought to control his emotions as he watched his new father walk out of the room. He finally belonged.

Finis


End file.
